


The Prince Who Looks Blankly Through the Night

by ryfkah



Category: Princess Tutu, Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena
Genre: Crossover, Fairy Tales, Gen, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-28
Updated: 2011-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-16 00:11:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryfkah/pseuds/ryfkah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before the story begins, the prince should be reminded of his duties.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Prince Who Looks Blankly Through the Night

In every Prince-character, there’s a little bit of Dios.

Admittedly, some correlate a little more directly than others.

“Would you like some tea?” his sister asks politely.

The reflection of Dios sitting across the table blinks at her and ventures, “I don’t really know if I like _or_ dislike tea.”

“Well,” Dios says. “You’re a prince. Courtesy and consideration are important traits. So if a princess offers you tea, you should accept it.”

Mytho nods. “Thank you,” he says, and obediently holds out his cup. Anthy pours the tea. Green eyes meet gold, in what combined might be the most overwhelmingly blank gaze in human history.

Dios resists the urge to facepalm.

“All right, Mytho,” he says. “Do you know where you are?”

“No,” says Mytho, apparently not at all concerned by this.

“That’s good,” says Dios, “because you’re not really anywhere. This is the castle where eternity dwells, and it doesn’t exist.”

“Oh,” says Mytho.

“In a way,” Dios adds, though he’s not sure why – it isn’t as if Mytho’s going to understand – “it’s as if you’re inside your own heart. I’m the embodiment of your princely nature, the only part of you that hasn’t been shattered, which is why I’m here. Anthy’s here because –” He glances over at Anthy, whose smile is perfect and placid. “Well, as far as I can make out, Anthy’s here because she’s fascinated by the nobility that she feels she lacks and she enjoys being passive-aggressively disruptive. If she can, she’ll throw your story off-course, but don’t mind her.”

“More tea?” says Anthy. The light glints off her glasses, and Dios wonders, not for the first time, if he can talk her into contact lenses.

“Thank you,” says Mytho, and holds out his cup, which is still full. Anthy carefully tops it off anyway.

“You’ll go back out into the world eventually,” Dios continues, as Anthy fills his cup without him asking. “You might even get your heart back. The point is – what I’m here to remind you of is – that being under a spell doesn’t release you from your duties. It’s your role as a prince to come to the rescue – always. To help the helpless. To save the princess. Do you understand?”

There is a pause that Dios generously chooses to interpret as Mytho thinking this over, although, of course, with Mytho it is often difficult to tell whether thought is possible at all. Finally, the other prince says, “I don’t know if I’m very good at helping anyone right now.”

“Nonetheless,” Dios says, “you have to try. What’s a prince without that?”

“A trap,” remarks Anthy.

Dios jerks his attention to her. “What?”

“Chuchu got his head stuck,” Anthy explains sadly, and holds up the small monkey-mouse, whose head is, indeed, stuck inside a birdcage.

“Chuuuuuuu!” complains Chuchu, struggling vigorously.

Dios takes a moment to wonder what a birdcage is doing inside Mytho’s heart – but, after all, his story does feature a significant raven. Maybe they’ll even put it on the DVD cover. “Well,” he says, to Mytho, “anyway, you do understand, don’t you? Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole way. If you see a lost puppy, or a bird falling off the roof, or, above all, a princess in danger – just listen, and I’ll tell you what to do.”

“Okay,” Mytho says.

“Don’t worry,” Dios says again, which is ridiculous, because Mytho isn’t worrying, and, in fact, probably can’t worry, at this stage. “As long as you keep your nobility, I’m sure your story will have a happy ending.”

"Before you go," says Anthy, looking at Mytho's full-to-the-brim cup, "would you like some more tea?"


End file.
